The Way You Melt Into Me
by nyahxneko
Summary: Roxas Stife, a fox spirit has always dreamed of life with his loved one, Axel, but when his older brother promises him to the prince and he is to be wed, what kind of love could possibly be bred from hate? Sora/Roxas; AU
1. It starts in a flood of anger

Disclaimer: I do not own KH or any of its characters.

*Sora and Roxa are seventeen approaching eighteen in human years.

_Bon voyage._

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A peaceful silence shrouded the tiny metropolis hidden between two tall mountains. It was nestled comfortably, rising masses of rock towering on each side, carefully hidden and protected from harsh winds. Although seemingly isolated, the bustling city was famous for trade and was a popular tourist attraction; the streets were only quiet after night fell.

Twilight Town, where the sky would glow the faintest pink, blended with soft orange hues every evening, when daylight met the darkness.

Water droplets plummeted from heavy grey clouds, hitting each roof with a rhythmic pitter-patter as the rain continued to fall. Safe in their homes, the residents of the town continued to sleep on, save one beautiful blonde, sobbing into his sheets. His cries were heart wrenching as he wept for the future he could not build with his own hands.

Roxas Strife, one of the most powerful fox spirit deities, was to be wed.

He angrily swiped at his face with the covers of his bed, knuckles white with fury and lips twisted into the snarl. He couldn't believe that the sibling who had raised him from birth would be the one to dictate the events of his life and, he was powerless to stop it.

Fox spirits were rare in Kingdom Hearts, the world of supernatural beings. It had been several thousand years since the birth of Cloud Strife, the eldest of the brothers, and Roxas himself was still young, only having breathed for six hundred. When their parents had been brutally murdered, Cloud had taken Roxas under his wing. He had been brought up single handedly, cared for and never neglected, even as Cloud had struggled to make a living and mark his place in the world.

Roxas had almost cried the day Cloud was accepted into the royal palace, proclaimed a general worthy of leading the King's army. The tears that day had been happy and much to his embarrassment, his rare display of affection had been seen by hundreds of soldiers. He had been so proud and even refrained from slapping Cloud away as the elder had leaned over to nuzzle him on the cheek.

As much as he loved his brother, Roxas had refused to travel with him to the royal palace. He enjoyed life in Twilight Town and could not have brought himself to leave it behind. The first few months, years without Cloud, had been terrible but Axel had helped him pull through it.

Axel helped him pull through everything.

Roxas had been in love with Axel, the fire spirit of the region, for as long as he could remember. He always fought a blush under the brilliant green of his eyes and couldn't help but card his fingers through the red, spiky hair. It was so soft to touch. He spent hours tracing the tattoos underneath his lover's eyes, smiling at the handsome features of his face. Axel, for lack of better words, was sinfully hot and he couldn't believe someone like him could be loved by this seductive man.

They bickered an awful lot and Axel was an insufferable pervert but, all the same, their relationship was precious.

He could remember how he had almost shaved off Axel's hair the first time they had met. The older man had pinched his ass and he had seen red. Roxas was rather violent and had had a hard time showing his emotions but the fire spirit had coaxed them out with much patience. And lord, their first kiss had been so passionate and it was that same night that Roxas had lost his purity. That had been one of the happiest moments of his life and it had warmed him from the inside to know that he shared an even deeper bond with Axel and that he would never give his heart to another.

Even if he was to be connected legally to another man, he would still be connected in his soul, to Axel, for as long as he lived.

He had thought that things would stay that way forever, but it had been foolish thinking.

His brother had arrived last week and Roxas had welcomed him with open arms. Cloud had looked as handsome as ever; spiky blond hair styled differently than his own, blue eyes bright, tall and graceful. Cheeks glowing pink with happiness, he had clung onto Cloud. It was unbelievable that Cloud had come to see him in the summer. Usually, he was only allowed to visit during the holidays.

What he never expected was the news that had turned his world inside out.

_Roxas stopped short while pouring tea for his brother, his muscles frozen from shock. It brimmed over the edge of the cup and spilled over but neither of the siblings made a move to clean it up. Roxas' ears rung. "What?" he whispered, blue eyes wide. _

"_You are to be married to crown prince, Sora Leonheart. I promised the king your hand." Cloud's face was contorted in pain, "I'm sorry, Roxy."_

_It took a while to sink in and suddenly, Roxas' world was engulfed in pain._

_The cup landed on the floor and shattered as he slammed both of his hands onto the table. "Don't fuck with me, Cloud! Stop kidding!" he yelled. His canines lengthened in his fury and waves of magical energy spun around his body, ruffling his blond tail and the ears that adorned his head._

"_I'm not kidding, Roxas." Cloud stated seriously, "I had my reasons and I am sure that with Sora, you will be happy." _

It hadn't ended well and Roxas still couldn't understand why Cloud hadn't blocked a single one of his attacks, red blood had rained on the floor of their home. His brother had been badly injured but never uttered a word. Maybe it had been because of his guilt but Roxas would never forgive him.

He had run to Axel in tears, kissing the redhead and burrowing his face into the crook of his neck. That was the last physical contact that they had had because soon afterwards, the fire spirit was taken to the palace. He was to be punished for inappropriate contact with Sora's, the prince's, betrothed.

He had been given a choice: it was either his hand in marriage or Axel's life.

So tonight would be the last night that Roxas was still Axel's Roxas. Tomorrow, he would be Sora's Roxas.

He promised himself, as he sat alone in his cold bed, that no matter what happened, he would never fall for the one who had taken his sunshine away.

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Sora Leonheart sighed.

He glanced out the large window of the library to gaze upon the village below the palace filled with cheerful citizens. He allowed a small smile to flit across his lips.

He fingered the cuffs of his jacket and ran a hand through his brown spikes. They were arranged in a unique style, neat and tidy but Riku, his advisor and best friend, always called it a bird's nest.

Then, Sora would comment on his silver, womanly tresses and fists would be thrown.

He turned his head to look at the long mirror that hung on the wall. His eyes, often compared to the clearest of blue skies, surveyed his appearance. Elegant boots donned his feet and white silk pants clung nicely on his hips. He hummed merrily at his favorite blue jacket, the first three buttons undone to reveal his collarbone. The cat ears on the top of his head twitched and he swished his caramel brown tail; he was a cat spirit of the royal family and the golden patch of fur at the tip of his tail proved that. It was shaped like a crown, proclaiming him the rightful heir. That was how the system worked in Kingdom Hearts, the throne was not passed down from generation to generation. Only those born with the crown were to be given the role of king.

The current ruler was kind and wise and Sora often felt pressured to be continuing in his steed. King Mickey often reassured him that the crown never picked the wrong spirit. However, he still could not quench his worries.

"I wonder if I'm doing the right thing, asking for something like that." He whispered to himself, "is it a sin to want to be with the one you love?"

"Surely not, your highness." A voice resounded behind him. Sora jumped, fur standing on end in shock before coughing in embarrassment. Kairi stood behind him, giggling, rabbit ears twitching in amusement. Her blue eyes sparkled.

"We're alone here, Kairi," Sora whined, "Don't call me that. You should know by now! Call me Sora!" He huffed in annoyance and walked towards her, leaning on the railing beside the stairs.

They were currently on the fourth floor of the grand royal library, complete with scrolls, documents and books. It was on this floor that secret documents of the royal family were held, locked away and guarded carefully. Sora spent a significant amount of time reading through diaries of past rulers and getting to understand Kingdom Hearts. It was his duty as crown prince but also one of his favourite past times.

The library was cozy; rounded with six floors, huge and spacy. Large intricately designed windows lined the walls, shoes were not allowed on the soft creamy carpets and it had the comfiest, not to mention, the softest sofas. Kairi, the librarian's daughter, had been working here since the age of five. She grew up alongside Sora and at one point, had fallen in love with him.

She plopped down onto the floor and stared up, past the last two levels and out of the domed glass top of the library. Kairi blew strands of magenta pink hair from her eyes before glancing back at Sora. It was clear that he was troubled. His shoulders were stiff and his mouth was pulled into a constant frown. It could have easily been mistaken for a pout.

"What's wrong?" She questioned.

He turned to look at her. "Kairi, do you think it's wrong to love someone?" He had said it in such a serious tone that it made her uneasy.

"Of course not, silly. Why would you ever think that?"

"Well," he hesitated, "You know all about Roxas. We've been promised since birth and he has the silver crown, making him my rightful mate." Sora's face crumpled painfully.

Kairi sat up and opened her arms, gesturing towards him. He managed a grateful smile before stumbling over and accepting her embrace. "But he's in love," Sora mumbled, "I heard, with that fire spirit, Axel. I just met him and he spat in my face. I've never been hated before, Kai. Roxas must hate me too, what do I do? I've loved him for so long, he's part of me and I've taken something so precious from him!" He held her closer to him, "I'm so jealous as well, overcome with it. He is my mate but he's been taken by another man, spirit. He doesn't love me, in fact, he never even knew about me. How am I supposed to start from scratch?" He raised his troubled blue eyes to look at her.

Kairi smiled encouragingly. "You'll manage, Sora. They don't call you 'the miracle' for nothing."

Sora didn't say anything after that; he closed his eyes and just focused on breathing. Roxas would be his in two days, he had waited four hundred years for this day, ever since he had first heard about his mate and no matter how hard Roxas would try push him away, he would not let go.

Not with Roxas finally within his reach.

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TBC

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A/N:

First chapter of my first multi-chapter story /sobs/ Not to mention, it's my first time writing for KH.

I purposely made this chapter short so please expect longer chapters in the future. In a way, this is a prologue/ brief introduction to everything.

I'm not sure how long I wish to make this; however, I know I'll update whenever I can.

I would love to know what you guys think about this BD & I will reply to every review I get. In addition, this is unbeta-ed. If anyone would like to beta for me, I'd be overjoyed.

Thank you for reading :heart:


	2. First meeting

Disclaimer: I do not own KH or any of its characters.

Note: Unbeta'd;

***I've finally found a wonderful beta who will start graciously helping me in chapter three! Three cheers to the Panda Insomniac! Thank you so much!***

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Roxas stuffed the last of his clothing in his brown and worn travelling bag just as the sun rose. Its feeble orange rays washed through his windows, illuminating the vacated bedroom. Sweeping across the walls, pictures of tiny Roxas and teenage Cloud were revealed, smiling brilliantly behind glass frames. They stood in stark contrast compared to the fox spirit in the middle of the room whose eyes were dull, taking in the world he now saw covered by a film of sombre gray.

The rain had stopped sometime during his slumber, bringing away with it his cracked emotions and seemingly, his need to care. Perhaps the rain had also stolen the brilliance of life with its nose-tingling pinches of excitement, sprinkles of happiness and the sweetness of anticipation. Roxas stared at the bags and suitcases gathered at his feet; whatever happened to him from this point on would never really matter, he concluded.

He'd live in a cramped castle situated on Destiny Islands for the rest of his life, pretend to love someone he wanted to mercilessly drown, be forced to do things he despised and the whole entire kingdom would be watching his every move. Roxas' eyes darkened with sorrow; an enormous amount of responsibility would fall upon his shoulders and he would have to bear it, a weight he knew he could not handle. For as long as he could remember, he had enjoyed the luxury of being carefree. Roxas was raised spoiled in a way; Cloud had carefully tucked his brother away from troubles. The eldest of the two had always taken care of everything, preventing Roxas from dealing with things on his own. Even after Cloud's departure, his life had continued as simple and undemanding.

But, this time, Cloud had not only refused to shield him but had actually thrown him into an Armageddon.

He tugged at his collared white shirt stiffly and adjusted his black vest with a scowl; fingers traced the silver embroidered lines decorating the sides of it over and over again.

What in the world had he done to get roped into this situation?

_Older brother, I'm going to fucking castrate you._

Roxas just desired everything to be over with, quickly.

Tapping his foot against the wooden floorboards, he stared listlessly up at the ceiling. The prince's advisor, who was supposed to escort him into the capital, was expected to knock on his door any minute. Worrying at his lower lip, Roxas assessed the idea of escape with a grimace. It was impossible to leave Twilight Town as of now, he would only manage to make five kilometers at most before he would be caught and hauled back to be offered up as a sacrifice; it would be saddening and humiliating.

For Axel, he decided with a grim smile, for Axel he would be brave. _Wait for me, _his eyes closed, _I'm on my way to save you._

Blue eyes closed slowly.

_Please let this moment last._

As if he had jinxed himself, the telltale arrival of the royal representatives blared in the distance. Loud trumpets shook the city to life and the hustle bustle of the metropolis resumed; its peaceful pause over. Roxas didn't even bother looking out to the streets; he could already hear the thundering of feet towards the city gates, the excited chatter reached his home as a buzz.

It was no secret that Twilight Town's citizens were eager to catch a glimpse of the royal escorts from the palace. It was a rumoured mysterious and ethereal place, the center of power, the home of royalty and enthrallingly mystical. Even Roxas had once been curious; he had often asked Cloud to recount him stories of his stay there, admiring the descriptions provided depicting beautiful architecture and palatial luxury.

With a flick of his wrist, the heavy baggage on the floor floated into the air. Quietly thanking the conveniences of magic, Roxas cast one more look at the devastatingly empty state of his bedroom and trudged into the hallway, lips slightly trembling as another piece of his childhood was left behind.

His lips thinned with deprecation. The fox spirit would make sure the Prince knew how much he had given up. Roxas promised to treat him like trash; it would be the most deserving treatment. He set the bags at the front entrance with a pointed finger and ran a trembling hand through his hair. The blond spikes were softer than usual and he absentmindedly stroked his fox ears. _Calm down, calm down_, he chanted in his head, his silky tail bristling as the sound of hooves clopping against stone pavement drew closer.

Although expecting it, Roxas still flinched when the front door was rapped against three short but solid times. Everything suddenly narrowed down into the space between his feet and the entrance. Imaginary butterflies broke free of the chrysalises in his stomach and fluttered around, creating what felt like an internal hurricane. _No, no, no_! Inner Roxas screamed, the rapid thumping of his heart hurting with each lub-dub. He threw his most hostile glare at the shaking in his hands but it did not subside. Every part of him was engulfed in fear, instincts warning him to turn tail and run.

But this time, instead of saving his own future, he would protect the one most important to him.

He drew in one last breath and yanked the door open.

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Sora skidded around the corner, apologizing profusely to the maid he had nearly bulldozed over before continuing on his way.

His high laced white boots made soft clicking noises as he advanced down the large, bright hallways of the palace. The floor beneath him was a creamy marble, laminated glossily and adorned with beautiful swirls of silver. Sora stopped in his tracks and looked around cautiously. It seemed that it was just him today in the west wing sector corridors. They were enormous, the creations of careful architects who had carved intricate designs into their walls and high ceilings, the light spilling through the archways hitting each detail at the most perfect of angles. He puffed up his cheeks and blew at the tiny dust motes floating through the air. They drifted, lit in the sun, in front of his face and were violently sent into a storm of disarray.

Sora's tail swished in a fury, ears atop his head wiggling every few minutes and his eyes were wide and sparkling.

Gosh, he was so excited.

Earlier, he had snuck out of his history lessons, tying his tutor to a chair and effectively gagging him none too gently with a sock. He had been pretty stealthy if he did say so himself although now he had a major problem on his hands. The guards were out looking for him and he knew that being caught by them, Riku or even Kairi would mean painful punishment.

Sora usually didn't put himself in such peril, oh no, he loved his life, but today was a special case. He reached for his pocket watch and grinned at the tiny hand that sped towards half past twelve. Roxas would arrive in several minutes and the west turret would give him the best view of his beautiful mate from afar.

Just two days prior, the royal council had passed an order to keep the two of them separate for a while, supposedly until Roxas could settle down but, Sora would not stand for that.

He had to see Roxas, it was something he had to do based on his raw instincts and he was determined to hold steadfast. Even if it meant breaking the rules, nothing could keep him from the love of his dreams and now, his life.

He snapped the time teller shut and sped up a flight of stairs to his left. The steps winded and twisted but his movements where still as agile as ever, never missing a beat. Just as the path became dangerously narrow, a doorway flooded with light appeared and moments later, Sora bounded into a wide and homely looking tower room, wind blowing in from the open glass windows ruffling his chocolate brown locks.

He beamed. The view was fantastic.

From his location two hundred and fifty feet above the ground, a clean moat winded behind the entrance guarded by silver gates and weaved through the beautiful castle gardens. Birds were flitting from apple tree to apple tree and Sora closed his eyes to enjoy the scent of summer drifting on the breeze.

His nose suddenly twitched as a new smell filled the gusts of warm wind, his eyes snapped open and his whole body shivered.

It was as if his whole body was on fire. His heartbeat had begun to race and color flooded his cheeks. This scent; it was unmistakable.

Roxas was here.

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Alright so maybe Roxas wasn't the happiest of campers.

He had been carted into an overly lavish carriage as soon as he had opened the door, had ridden the damn thing for three whole days and then had been thrown into a fancy boat to access the islands.

So at the current moment, Roxas was standing on the deck of what appeared to be an exquisite cruise liner, heading for the islands becoming bigger by the moment and contemplating leaping into the gorgeous crystal blue waters of the ocean and with luck, drowning.

_Good lord,_ he groaned,_ just get me off this thing._

His wishes were soon answered. Seagulls swooped from the sky to the ground as the boat docked without a hitch and Roxas was ushered hastily off of it. His eyes widened at the amount of people who had gathered by the harbour to catch a glimpse of the 'bride-to-be.' Murmurs filled the air. All around, people were pushing to get to the front and many were pointing while others just stared. Roxas tried his best to plaster a sincere smile on his face but it faltered over and over again as he caught glimpses of hope and love amongst the eyes that gazed at him with curiosity. These people didn't know his story, all they saw the destined mate of the crown prince, the one who would rule at his side and ensure that Kingdom Hearts be protected and cherished.

Face washed bright pink, he bowed in greeting and applause resounded on the dock.

"We must hurry." His attendant whispered urgently. A flurry of emotions washed across his features as he was led down towards another carriage, this one even more luxurious than the previous. He gave one last wave to what was now _his _people and the door shut gently behind him. Roars and cheers of approval echoing across the port faded into the distance as the jostling of the coach lulled him into deep thoughts. Roxas felt the impending doom of his task laid out before him and for the first time in half a week did he let out a whimper of anguish.

Putting on a show was harder than he had expected. He had almost just collapsed in front of the crowd. How was he to face the royal family, the council, and the nation?

His own nails dug into his palms as he mulled over his fear and the beaches and beautiful waters that swept past his window soon transformed into houses of quaint towns and finally luscious forests as they climbed higher and higher, edging deeper and deeper into the heart of the islands.

Mako blue eyes snapped open, startled when the carriage came to a halt. "We are here, your highness." The escort informed politely outside his door, his voice finally reaching the fox deity's ears. Roxas had been so distracted that he panicked immediately, hoping that he wasn't where he thought he was. Scooting over hurriedly to the window, a gasp left his lips.

Before him stood the center of Kingdom Hearts; beautiful pale castle walls, winding turrets, glass domes and guarded gates displayed for his eyes. Luscious gardens lay between the palace entrance and the silver gates permitting access to the place which seemed to belong to a whole different world. It held a sunny and peaceful atmosphere and Roxas momentarily forgot how to breathe.

Beautiful.

The door to the coach creaked open and he turned his head to meet the gaze of the expectant attendant waiting to lead him in. He offered the man a shaky nod and stepped out, carefully descending the steps to stand on a yellow bricked road. The wind picked up and he sighed, content with the way it unknotted the tension in his shoulders, blowing against his cheeks softly.

_This is it,_ He told himself, trembling almost unnoticeably.

The silence surrounding him was abruptly broken.

"Well, well, well, would you look at that." A voice boomed from beside him, a wolf whistle followed swiftly after. "Sora's got quite the looker of a mate." Roxas' ears fell flat on his head and his tail thrashed as he hissed in surprise, eyes narrowing dangerously at the person, who had concealed his presence moments ago, standing just a few steps away; an eyepatch over his right eye, long black hair in a ponytail with silver highlights, and liquid yellow eyes roving over his form. The tail he sported looked like that of a skunk's.

"I'm Xigbar," the man drawled, still smirking, "I'm the head of the palace guards. If I ever catch you sneaking beyond these walls, it won't be a problem to bring you back, mark my words. C'mon princess, we have to get going." Without waiting for Roxas' retort, he started to walk away and the poor fox boy followed behind him half sulking and half anxious.

He was dreading this place already.

He tensed up immediately when five or six guards surrounded him as they approached the gates. Xigbar reached up to stroke one long finger against the metal and it shimmered and disappeared. Roxas gazed at him suspiciously. Xigbar sent him a cocky grin. "The security here responds only to a few select individuals and their magic. I'm one of them."

An eyebrow raised as he paused to observe Roxas' rigid posture. "Are you sure you're alright kid? Maybe I should have the coach drive you up to the entrance? You look like you're about to collapse. It's a pretty long walk."

"I'm fine." Roxas bit out and the older man rolled his eyes, continuing on his way with quick strides.

Roxas let out a frustrated grumble and rushed to follow Xigbar but as soon as he set a foot inside the grounds, he was assaulted by a rush of adrenaline, colours erupted across his vision and he was enveloped in the scent of fresh mist and what smelled like citrus.

He shook violently and suddenly an urge to look up towards the tower in the west took over him.

Foxes have excellent vision.

Blue met astonished blue and Roxas' world brusquely went pitch black.

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**TBC**

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><p><strong>AN:**

Hey guys! It's finally summer here for me and now, I have a good amount of time on my hands to write QAQ

Thank you all for being so patient with me and I hope chapter two was alright /sobs. It wasn't as lengthy as I wanted it to be but it was a start ; I had a huge writer's block. Uhuhuhuhu.

Hope everyone is doing well! Man, sure looks different.

See you soon!


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